XMen Christmas
by Agent-G
Summary: See how the mutants at the XMen spend their Christmas, some go home, some stay. Holiday fic based in the AGU Universe after the Back to School fic
1. Deck the halls

**Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution or anything related to it, the only thing I own are my OCs. This is an AGU fic but I'm not sure if it will be canon or not, given the timeline it does take place after Back to School but this is just for fun really.**

* * *

**X-Men Christmas**

**Chapter 1: Deck the Halls**

It was December at this moment, a week before Christmas as the snow fell lightly in the early morning in Bayville. At Xavier's the place was decorated all over in lights and other seasonal decorations. A few snowmen were around, some ice statues thanks to Iceman, and several snow forts. Many that looked to have just survived a war as they were falling apart.

Given the few snowball fights at the mansion it was a wonder a few still stood, everyone was gearing up for the season as they had time off of school and so far there was no real trouble on the horizon. It seemed that even the Hellions, Magneto and all the others were taking the time off and the mutants at Xavier's weren't complaining.

In the early morning a buzzing sound was heard, Jean Grey the red headed mutant telepath moaned as she reached out and shut off her alarm it was too early and she wanted to sleep in a bit more. Then she felt a form shift in her bed behind her and a familiar arm wrap around her waist, this gave her a small smile knowing who it was.

She turned around and started to snuggle up against Scott who was right next to her. The week they had off had been great, there wasn't any missions, no world threatening disasters or villains, and she had caught up an all school work. Just one week of relaxing and given how hectic their lives were and how college was she needed it.

The stress of finals had been getting to her but that was all behind her at least for a few weeks. She moaned happily as she felt one of Scott's hands on the small of her back caressing her there. "So what time is your flight home?" He asked her gently.

She sighed, she wanted to enjoy the moment not wanting to think about this. Jean had hoped that Scott would be able to have Christmas with her and her family but he was going with Alex this year. She didn't mind, he was after all his brother and they had years to catch up on.

"Later today, I got to leave just after six if I want to get there with enough time," She groaned as she started to wake up a bit more. Last night they had decided to enjoy the last night together since they wouldn't see each other for about a week, they hated being apart for that long but they would see each other again.

It was also good that their whole relationship wasn't a secret, since as long as they were responsible the adults didn't mind them sharing a room now and then, after all they were adults now themselves. "I'm going to miss you." Scott simply told her giving her a small hug.

She smiled and nodded, "So will I…Well now that I'm awake we might as well get dressed and I need a shower." She sighed as she broke the hold lightly. She reached for a robe by her bed and went to her bathroom, another thing she liked about the new renovations. No more sharing a few bathrooms with over twenty other people.

She stopped for a moment as she looked over her shoulder, "You coming or not?" She gave him a playful smile as she went into the doorway. Scott grinned, he didn't need to be told twice.

Later that day others were already getting up, at least those not sleeping in, in the kitchen there was Ororo, Blink, and Vincent helping to make breakfast. Blink was really getting the hang of cooking under her adopted mother's teaching and she found she liked it. "So when are you two leaving for New York?" Vince asked Clarice.

The lavender skinned girl was next to him cooking some eggs, "Later today after everyone else goes. It will be nice to see them and I hope Evan at least visits." She told him, she was looking forward to seeing her new aunt and uncle again. And to see how far along Vivian was in her pregnancy, she had to be a few months along by now.

Ororo listened in and she too hoped that Evan would at least show up, ever since the Morlocks went underground after the Spears thing they hadn't been seen that often. A few letters from Evan made their way to her and her sister but not much else. It was a sad thing that Evan was distancing himself like this and she hoped it wouldn't get any worse.

Logan was there reading his paper a hot cup of black coffee was next to him. Ororo gave him a look, normally he would just go off on his own at this time but with a daughter of his own he had to stick it out for her sake. It was Sarah's first Christmas after all, being a clone growing up with Hydra she had never heard of Christmas.

She still smiled when Sarah first saw all the decorations and just walked around the mansion looking at everything, there was a wonder in her eyes and for a moment Ororo thought she saw a hint of something in the young girl's eyes. Something long lost to her, a sense of child like wonder about Christmas.

"Better get the grub on, Hayseed and the Kid are coming," Logan suddenly said not looking up from his paper. By now they knew what he was talking about as Vince got the plate of food as Sarah "X23" Logan and her friend Paige "Husk" Guthrie came in. As usual they had their morning runs together it was just something they liked to do, although Paige kept wondering how a girl with metal claws in her body could run so fast.

"Good run girls?" Vince asked them as X23 dug into her food, she only had slightly better table manners then her 'father' Logan, Paige at least nodded to him.

"Oh yeah and ah'm glad we got that new indoor gym. Runnin' in snow is a bit hard. Plus ah never liked how the air in ya lungs get, 'cause of the cold." The young blond said in her southern accent as she started to eat.

Vince had to smirk as the two ate, they looked like night and day sitting there but they really seemed to work well with each other. And they liked to eat at the same speed as well. Sarah just liked the food here, it was heavenly compared to that stuff she grew up on, it tasted like cardboard and stale. Here food had flavour and smelled good.

She would miss having Paige around for a week, she and her brother were going home to visit their families like many others were. In fact Rahne was going to see her mother, Jubilee, Bobby, Roberto, Alex were all going to their families. Ray was staying of course since the last he saw his parents was when they kicked him out.

Kai was still here since he had no home to go to, Amara's people didn't celebrate Christmas and even though she would have liked to have gone home she was staying. Sarah thought it was because that Kai was still here and she had a crush on him. Mostly everyone knew of it now, she knew because of the smells Amara gave off when she was near him.

She looked at Vincent and knew he was staying, he wanted to go home but he thought it would be best not to at this time. He missed his home but given how things were when he left he didn't want to cause any trouble, especially at this time of year. She sensed how this hurt him and she didn't like that.

He had been a supportive person for her here, and one of the few that could understand her given he too, like her father was treated cruelly by men and women of science. Her thoughts were broken when Kurt suddenly teleported in, she jerked and just managed to control her claws coming out.

She really hated it when he surprised her like that, it wasn't healthy to suddenly startle a living weapon.

Kurt took no notice giving that his back was to her, he was too excited as he was all smiles. "Good morning evervone," He smiled as he went to gather up a large plate of food. "How is evervone this morning?"

Clarice grinned at his mood, "Kurt you've been smiling and acting like you're Paige on a sugar high."

"Hey!" Paige said hearing that, "ah'm not that bad."

"Yeah Sarah is worse," Vince smirked hearing a small growl from Sarah but knew she was just playing along. Everyone remembered when Paige got Sarah a lot of sugar. Logan had to take her into the Danger Room for four hours before she burned it off, and Forge and Beast spent the rest of the day repairing the system.

Kurt laughed at the interplay, "You know full vell zhat zhis year mien family is actually coming here! I mean not only vill I get to see zhem but zhey vanted to come here to meet both Amanda and Rogue."

"Yeah she's a little nervous about that," Vincent nodded as he went back to work. Rogue had been a little on edge about meeting Kurt's foster parents and how they would react to her. He of course had been helping out as much as he could to relieve that of course.

There was a yawn as a purpled haired teen that looked a lot like Mystique's 'Risty' persona came in. "Oh god that smells great," Betsy Braddock said in her typical British voice. "You know the food here really helps take the edge off all the other bloody things that go on here at times."

"It's not that bad here," Paige told the other girl as she sat down with them on the table.

Betsy shrugged, "Okay no it's not, just the early training and the bigotry and the evil villain now and then. But at least here I feel at home and not a freak or an outcast."

"On that note you're flight is tonight isn't it?" Vince asked as he got himself a plate and sat down.

The telepath nodded her head, "Oh yes, I'm sharing a flight with Rahne since we're heading the same way. She just gets off at the transfer point in Scotland, then I go home and my family will pick me up." She was really looking forward to it as well. She missed her family and her twin brother as well, she couldn't wait to see Brian again.

"So I know a few of the others are going, but is it true Kitty managed to convince Piotr to visit with her and her family?"

"Yes she did and Illyana is going too, in fact I think she's teleporting them all the way there," Blink said sitting down with her own meal. She then noticed the looks she was getting from her statement, even Logan looked up from his paper.

"Tin man's little sister is teleporting them?" Logan asked Blink like she was nuts. "Ya do remember what happened the last few times she tried that while visiting right?"

Everyone knew that Illyana's teleportation skills weren't the best. Last couple of visits she missed her mark, once she landed on the other side of Bayville, another time she landed in the bathroom while one of the boys using it. That had been a nightmare when she freaked and her magic destroyed the room.

It took a week to make Ray to take another shower after that, he had been refusing on the grounds that he didn't want anymore crazy blond Russian girls with magic swords jumping in on him again.

They had to literally pick him up and throw him into a tub of water to get him to clean up. Even his girlfriend Pam couldn't stand to be around him after four days, he was so smelly that Logan and Sarah could smell him coming from a mile away.

"Well that will be interesting," Vince said eating his bacon, "Meeting the parents, I'm glad I don't have to worry about that."

"Well technically ya did already meet her mother," Paige told him and he groaned remembering that. She had infiltrated the mansion and set off an EMP, that was when he learned that an EMP shuts him down and leaves him aching all over.

"Yeah well at least she's not visiting, no offence Kurt but your mother is…well…" He tried to be polite about it but that was kind of hard to do with her. Kurt sighed and nodded his head he completely understood. It was hard knowing what his biological mother was after all this time but he was dealing with it.

At least his foster parents were coming and it would be great to have them here with everyone. He felt that this Christmas would be the best one yet.

Else where in the mansion Tabitha was packing in her room while Amara helped out, she wanted to make sure she had everything ready to go and she wondered how the hell Sam talked her into joining her with his family. Sure with her father in jail and her mom was kind of still in rehab for her drinking she had planned on just staying at the mansion.

But boy Sam could really be convincing when he had to be, she had only met his family once when they went to collect his little sister, but they had been very nice to her. Amara picked up a pair of pants for her, "You sure you're going to need all of this?" She pointed at the three cases.

"I have no idea, never been on a farm in winter so I'm going prepared," She shrugged throwing her Ipod into a travel bag. "I wish I had done this earlier."

"That's what you get when you procrastinate," Amara said with a smirk closing one of the cases.

Tabitha roller her eyes, "Yeah, yeah I know. I just can't help being me, anyways before I forget here." She reached into her dresser and pulled out a present and handed it to her. "Just don't open it until later tonight."

"Aw thanks, I got you something too," The princess smiled as she went to get hers and gave it to her. Tabitha shook it but couldn't tell what it was, she hated not knowing a secret. Maybe why she wanted to rip it open at that moment and find out what it was.

"Thanks girlfriend," She hugged her as the two best friends hugged for a moment. "Man I am really going to miss this place, I'm surprised you didn't want to go home though."

Amara shrugged, "I didn't want to make them fly me out there, you know only the Blackbird can get there since if I went to Brazil I would have to travel for over a week there on foot." It was a lame excuse but truth was she liked this place too, Nova Roma seemed boring in comparison although it would always be home to her.

Although there was one more reason behind her choice as well and Tabitha had a sly grin on her face. "Un-huh and it has nothing to do with a certain Japanese boy that you've had a crush on for all this time?"

Amara blushed looking away, she had been patient with letting Kai get over the loss of his girlfriend but lately she was getting a bit impatient. Tabitha grinned as she started to look through her dresser again, "You know there is something you can use to help you along. It will guarantee you a kiss from him and he will have nothing to do about it."

Amara wanted to say something against it but she was wondering just what she had in mind, she tried to think of what on Earth Tabitha was talking about when the taller blond turned around all smiles. She walked over to her and placed something in her hand.

Amara looked down and suddenly she understood and she got a smile on her face as well. She looked up at a grinning Amara with a curious look, "Tabby…what were you doing with mistletoe?"

Tabby just shrugged, "Hey you never know when it could come in handy ya know."

Amara looked over the small green plant again and just maybe she would use it, after all it was definitely one tradition in this holiday that she was going to enjoy. She remembered when Kurt had tried it on Kitty. Sure that hadn't gone well but maybe she could make it work for her. That is maybe after she spent a few hours on herself making herself more pretty.

A plan and a smile worked itself onto her and Tabitha could see her work was done here and hoped her for the best.

**NEXT UP CHAPTER 2: GIFTS AND GOODBYES**


	2. Gifts and Goodbyes

**X-Men Christmas**

**CHAPTER 2: GIFTS AND GOODBYES**

Later that day everyone was gathering up for the final meal where everyone would be together before they all broke up for the break. They were in the new larger dinning room that now had two long tables in it. Given the number of students they needed the extra space when Xavier had the mansion upgraded.

In fact he was sitting back at the head of the one with the adults and X-Men smiling as he looked over the room. There on the other table the New Mutants and the new group X-Factor were talking amongst each other, each one telling the other about what they planned to do when they got home and the family they wanted to see.

A small smile spread over his face looking over them all enjoying themselves. It had been a heard year so far, new members and dealing with lots of issues. He looked to Jean and Scott both now adults as they were no longer high school students. He had seen their relationship grow over time to where it was now and it made him happy for them.

He looked to Kurt and Amanda and seeing them being playful with each other and how when Amanda was human how she treated him and the others gave him hope. Another thing he was grateful for was seeing Rogue there, she was happier these days and it was no real wonder why. She could touch and had opened up her heart to another, after all the treachery by her mother that had to be hard for her.

Xavier looked over them all and marvelled at how some of them had grown up lately, some had found new strength others through pain and loss had become stronger. Or in the case of people like Logan, Ororo, Blink and Sarah by having a new family to fill in a hole in their lives, it was a good for him to see all of this and he couldn't help but smile.

"Care to enlighten us about what is giving you such a smile Charles?" Beast asked him, he had noticed him smiling for awhile now and he was wondering what exactly it was.

Xavier looked at his old blue friend and then nodded to everyone there, "It's just that it's nice seeing everyone together like this. I remember when I first opened this mansion to mutants to train them and to help them. I never dreamed that it would be like this, with so many and seeing how they all grow over time."

For a moment he thought this was what it was like to be a parent, that reminded him that he was. David or Legion was still out there, the son he had never known or had been there for. He still felt like a failure not being able to help his son and now he was out there out of control. How would have things would have been different if he had known about him? Would he have been here now with them?

He put that aside he had been thinking on what ifs ever since he had met his son, and this was a happy time.

Beast looked over everyone and even he admitted it was always a nice time here, last year was very nice and with so many children here he couldn't help but get swept up into the spirit of things. How could you not with so much young energy going around?

After dinner they cleaned up well the few that actually didn't mind the work did while others snuck off to do something else. It was later when everyone got together to exchange gifts, it wasn't Christmas yet and even though some of the students didn't celebrate it but that didn't mean they didn't get into the spirit of things.

Everyone was in the living room as they gave out gifts, some actually could wait until Christmas to open theirs but there were some that just couldn't wait. Kitty was on the couch with Dani as they exchanged gifts, "I really hope you like it," The Native girl said as Kitty opened her gift. "I made it myself."

Kitty opened up the small box and pulled out a small circular object with a web pattern in the circle with some beads and a couple of feathers. "Oh cool is this a dream catcher?" Kitty asked looking at it, it was really well made. She had seen a few before in the mall but this looked much better.

"Yeah it is, you put it over your bed to take away bad dreams, my grandfather taught me how to make them."

"I totally like it, it must have taken you forever to make this. Now I feel a little cheep since I only bought yours." Kitty's face feel a bit this gift had a lot of thought into it.

Dani opened hers and she was surprised when she pulled out a necklace, it was silver looking and there was a crescent moon with a reddish gemstone set in the space in the moon. "Wow this is beautiful."

Kitty beamed at that, "Thanks glad you liked it, when I asked what the gem was they told me it was a moonstone so I figured it would be perfect for you."

Dani smiled and gave her friend a hug it was a very nice gift and it really did look great. She put it on and she couldn't wait to show it off. Others were already opening a few gifts as Jamie was opening a box that he got from Vincent, he was curious as to what he got. The young boy opened up a box and saw the whit clothing and then looked to the dark haired older boy.

"I thought I already had a gi?" Jamie asked confused as he looked at it.

"Not like this, take a closer look," Vince smirked as Jamie did and only smiled wider when Jamie's expression turned to surprise when he pulled it out and saw that on the chest and even larger on the back it had the Mototsugu family clan symbol. There was also a yellow belt in there as well.

He looked up at the dark haired Canadian at that point, "You've earned it Jamie, you've come a long way in a short time it's impressive."

"Cool thanks!" He said pulling it out, Vince had been like an older brother to him teaching him to be stronger and to use his powers better. And to be able to wear this symbol, Jamie knew meant that he had earned Vince's respect. Although when he pulled out the pants there was something else as well a DVD movie.

"Oh yeah I forgot that as well, enjoy." Vince smirked as Jamie pulled it out and gave the older boy a hug. When he was gone Rogue came up behind him shaking her head.

"Y'all goin' ta spoil him like that," She told him and he looked up and just shrugged.

"He deserves it, besides aren't you that one that keeps giving him those brownies when he asks for help to reach them?"

She crossed her arms trying to cover up her slight embarrassment, "Well…He just uses those damn puppy dog eyes and stuff."

He nearly laughed at that but the look he got said that he better not, it was hard but he kept it down. Although he still had on a smile as he got up and led her away. "Where are we goin'?" She asked him not sure what he had planned, even having his mind in hers she still couldn't figure him out sometimes.

"It's a surprise," He just told her which she didn't like, she wasn't one for surprises they usually ended up being bad for her. They walked to his room as he dug through his closet and pulled something out. She was surprised when he handed her a guitar, she gently took it as well.

"I know it's early but I figured I wanted you to have this. I know you lost your old one when the mansion was destroyed but how come you never got another one?" He asked her, he had learned about this from Kitty of course. Whenever he needed some information about Rogue it was usually Kitty or Kurt who had the answer.

Rogue just kept looking at it, it looked a lot like her old one so she knew he had to have had help in picking it out. "Ah don't know…Things just kept coming up and well…"

Vince remembered how she had played once and took a step forward, "Hey you got some talent with it and it will be a shame for you to waste it. I mean I remember what you played and it was great, you shouldn't have given up on it."

Rogue gave a small smile, truth was she did love playing her guitar. But after the mansion was destroyed and they had been on the run and how people treated them when they found out the truth, she just didn't have it in her to play. Then the thing with Mystique and stuff and that year had just been really dark for her.

She tested the weight of it and sat on his bed as she tested the strings, it was a good instrument and she never knew just how much she missed having one. She remembered practicing it in her room before her powers all the time. It had been one of the few things in her lonely childhood that gave her joy.

Vince watched as she started to play, at first testing it out and tuning it, then moving into a few bars of songs. When she got more comfortable she started to play what he thought was some type of blues and he just smiled. She looked to be really into the music as she just let it take over and she lost herself in the song. By the end Rogue was smiling and he loved to see that on her face she had a nice smile actually.

Rogue for a moment just looked at her gift and for a moment she wondered why on Earth had she given this up? It felt like she had a part of her back, she loved her music and playing it again it just brought back all the memories of why she loved it. 'Sometimes I really can be an idiot,' She thought to herself and looked up at her smiling boyfriend.

"Thank you," Were the only words she could get out, there didn't seem to be any words that she could say that could tell him how she felt at this moment. He only smiled and was glad that she liked it. "So ya want yours now as well?"

He just smiled and shrugged, "It can wait I want to hear more music." She smiled back as she started up again.

Gifts were passed out and people were showing others what they got, Paige was surprised when she opened hers from Jamie and found that he made a frame with a picture of them. It was from one of their first dates actually and the frame was very beautiful. She hugged him making the young man blush.

Blink for the first time in years felt happy at this time of the year, her old family had celebrated Christmas but it had usually only been very dull. Her parents never had been one for showing sighs of affection at times and being here now with so many people was a bit overwhelming. She actually had to slip away although not unnoticed.

Amanda noticed her roommate slipping out and grew a bit concerned. When she silently went through the doorway and down the hall she found her friend looking out the window and wiping her face. "Clarice are you okay?" She saw the other girl was startled for a second and she wiped her eyes. "Were you crying?"

"Yes but it's not what you think. This is the best Christmas I can remember I was just so happy that…well…I don't know why I was crying. But I just didn't want anyone to see it." Blink said drying her eyes. Amanda went over to her and gave her friend a hug since she looked like she needed it. Clarice didn't back down from it as she returned it, then they pulled away. "You know I think the best gift I got is my life here."

Amanda smiled and nodded she knew the kind of life her friend had lived. They had talked at night sometimes especially when she had a nightmare about her parents. "Well at any rate Clarice just know that we'll always be here."

"Thanks." She said a little shyly, Blink was glad that Amanda was her roommate and her closest friend. The dark skinned girl was just so nice and understanding it was no wonder that she saw through Kurt's appearance.

"Now then why don't we get back? I think there are a few gifts left to you." Amanda smiled as she took the other girl's hand leading her gently back to the room.

When everyone opened up at least one present early it was time to clean up and to pack up. Some people were actually going to miss the place but there were still high spirits about. People were packing up and getting ready to move out for the rest of the week, everyone was getting ready to leave.

Bobby who was one of them slipped his arm around Jubilee's and pulled her aside, "Hey what's up?" She asked him he actually looked a bit serious which was odd. Normally he was a source of good humour it was one of the things she liked about him.

"Well I just didn't want to wish you a merry Christmas and well…Here but don't open it until later okay?" He told her giving her a small box. She had no idea what it was and she wondered what he had gotten her.

"I was wondering why you didn't get me something," She smirked as he was already wearing a sweater that she got him, it was a nice white and blue color that seemed to work for him. He just grinned and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah well I wouldn't forget about you, you know that at least you should." He joked and she smiled at it. She was thinking of opening it on the plan ride wondering she he had picked out but she could wait.

Meanwhile Kitty was with Piotr as they were putting down their luggage, well he was done but Kitty had taken four cases with her. She also had Lockheed on her shoulder, there was no way she was leaving him behind. Although how on Earth she was going to explain this to her parents she had no idea. She had told them about Lockheed per say…Well she had just said he was an 'exotic lizard' to them, she wasn't sure how you bring up dragon into a conversation.

It had been hard enough for her father to let Piotr stay with them but after a little convincing it wasn't too bad. He didn't like that he was an older boy but after hearing that he was a nicer guy then Lance and that he was brining his little sister along he was a bit more relaxed about it. "Are you sure you have everything Katya?" Piotr asked her as he put down the last case.

Kitty did a mental checklist so far, "Yeah I think so, so when is like Illyana supposed to stop by?"

Piotr checked his watch, she was actually supposed to have been here about fifteen minutes ago but then again she never was one for being on time. "I hope soon and I hope she isn't lost again." He really didn't like her using those teleportation disks of hers, given what happened the first time he had been worried sick about her.

Kitty placed a hand on his arm to reassure him and gave him a warm smile. A few minutes later a golden disk glowed into existence and soon a young teenaged blonde stepped out with a suitcase. She looked around and let out an excited whoop. "Yes! I knew I was getting better, landed in the spot I wanted on the first try."

"So I see," Piotr smiled as she looked at her older brother. Illyana gave a happy shout as she ran and hugged her brother, he laughed as he swung her in the air. The sight was just too cute for Kitty as she giggled as the two of them started to speak in Russian. She really thought that she should learn that language if just to understand what they were saying when they got together.

Illyana looked at all the suitcases, "Uh…wow that is a lot."

"You don't think you can like not teleport with all of that can you?" Kitty asked a little worried but Illyana told her that it was fine. Just would take a bit more concentration, Kitty was glad to hear that now she just had to break the news of Lockheed and she was set. "Well then shall we go?"

"Sure thing, just stay close and uh…Don't move." Illyana warned them as they gathered together and she closed her eyes thinking of the destination. Piotr held Kitty's hand mainly for himself he loved his sister but her teleportation skills were not on the par with someone like Kurt or Blink. When the golden disk formed he held his breath hoping that they would land in the right city.

Later on most of the mutants were driven to the nearest airport. There were some that hugged each other goodbye as they started to move away. Gale was taking a flight by herself to Canada to see her father, and Betsy and Rahne were already on their way. Roberto was flying first class but his flight was delayed for a bit, so he was sitting around chatting it up with a few girls he found.

Tabitha, Sam and Paige were all waiting for their flight to get ready, as Jamie was hitching a ride with them since their flight would make a stop over in his home city where his parents would be waiting for him. Even Wanda was taking a flight as she got the change to spend it with her half-sister Lorna and her mother.

It was odd but for Wanda she was looking forward to it, Lorna and her mother were nice that one time and she couldn't remember the last time she had been with a family for this time of year. She was even smiling a bit since this was the happiest time of year she could remember. Scott told Alex to wait for him as he and Jean were left alone in the terminal.

"Well…I guess I'll see you in a week," Scott said hating to see her go sure it was just a week but honestly he liked having her around. It was comforting and Jean felt the same way but they each had plans.

"Yeah, tell you what how about we at least send an e-mail or something?" She would prefer a phone but Hawaii was pretty far and they didn't want to run up the phone bill. Scott smiled and then he pulled out a small gift for Jean.

"Here you go and don't open it until Christmas okay?" He told her and she smiled as she took it.

"Thank you Scott and I'll hold you to the same agreement," She had earlier given him a present but this time she wanted him to open it up at Christmas and not right away like last year. "I'm going to miss you Scott."

"Same here," He told her moving slowly towards her and giving her a kiss on her lips. She responded immediately as they wanted to share one final moment together.

"Hey come on bro, I don't want to miss our flight cause you were making out with your girlfriend," Alex's voice could be heard as Scott gave him a dirty look over his shoulder for ruining the moment. He just smiled back at him and Jean shook her head and nearly laughed.

"Well go on, trust me we'll have plenty of time to catch up when we get back." She told him.

"I'll hold you to that," He grinned at her as he slowly walked away. Jean watched him walk and sighed before she turned towards her own flight. It would be a long flight and she wondered what Scott had given her. She looked at the small box and she was tempted but she put it in her coat. She promised and that was that she would just have to wait a few more days.

**NEXT UP CHAPTER 3: VISITORS**


	3. Visitors

**X-Men Christmas**

**CHAPTER 3: VISITORS**

It was a couple of days later and everything was going fine it would soon be Christmas and the mansion seemed a bit empty with so many students away. The only ones left there were Sarah, Clarice, Vincent, Kai, Rogue, Kurt, Amanda and Ray, it was very quiet. It was kind of odd for everyone to be in the mansion with so little they were all used to seeing at least two or three people in a room.

Although there was an upside and that was there was a bit more privacy at the moment so that was good at least. Kurt however was waiting patiently for his father and mother to show up. He had missed them a lot and when they had planned on them coming over here, he had been looking forward to it for over two months.

Although patience was a virtue it was now becoming one that he was starting to feel a lack of. Ororo had gone to pick them up at the airport and drive them back and they were thirty minutes late so far. His mind thought of things like what if their flight had been delayed because of a snow storm somewhere, or that Ororo's car stopped working?

He tried not to come up with all sorts of scenarios because his imagination kept coming up with things that were worse and worse and his nerves were starting to fray because of it. He was laying on his bed looking up at his ceiling trying to think on anything else. He looked to his left and saw a photo he kept there of him and Amanda, that always brought a smile to his face knowing that he was lucky to have her in his life.

He sighed getting up and decided to go see if there was something to do, he thought of eating but all this waiting around didn't make him want to eat anything. He went looking around to see if anyone was still here, he knew Ray was off with Pam today and that he had been invited over to her place for dinner.

The others should be around here at least he figured and went looking. He came across Amanda, Rogue and Vincent watching a movie. "Hey vhat's up?"

"Hey Kurt," Amanda smiled as he sat down next to her on the floor while Rogue and Vince were on the couch. "Just watching one of those Christmas films they play."

"Ya know I don't mind these but why do they got ta shove so many down our throats? Ah swear there is nothing but this stuff on. Even the movie channels are showing them." Rogue sighed she didn't mind this film so much but she could use a decent flick.

"You're still not mad we're not watching Black Christmas are you?" Vincent asked her, they had found that movie earlier an older Canadian horror film. Given that Vince didn't like horror films and Amanda didn't want to watch that a few days before Christmas she had been out voted.

Rogue sighed knowing that they had a slight difference in movies but you couldn't like what everyone else liked. "It's okay, ah just wish for somethin' else, after awhile all these really old ones just kind of blend together for meh."

Kurt smiled and shook his head, his foster sister even at this time of the year could still find something not to like. But he had to admit that she was better this year then the last year, he had noticed how she seemed a bit depressed before he had left. It was good that she was doing a bit better this time around.

So Kurt sat down with them watching, eventually Amanda rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped up his tail around her waist. It had been a bit odd at first when he started doing that but Amanda soon found to enjoy it. Sometimes she would play with the tip or something. She soon found out just how sensitive his tail was and knew several areas that were actually slightly ticklish.

Kurt was enjoying the moment until he heard a car pull up and there was only one car out at the time as well. "Zhere here!" He shouted and teleported without warning, meaning Amanda no longer had anything to lean on and fell to the floor.

She landed with a small yelp before hitting ground and looked up with a huff at Kurt's little slip in remembering about her. She got up and smoothed out her clothing and looked at the other two, both trying not to laugh at the sight. "Well come on don't you want to meet them?" She asked as she left.

Rogue was a little hesitant but Vince gently pulled her up and assured her that they would like her. She wasn't so sure but she might as well meet them. Meanwhile Kurt had teleported to the front of the mansion. He saw Ororo get out of the car and then followed by two people with some grey in the hair.

Kurt called out to them in German and immediately they had their arms opened as he ran and the three united in a deep hug. Ororo smiled at the sight, it was good to see family together and she could hear the three of them talking in German happily, about what she assumed was how things were going for each of them.

Kurt was delirious to see his family again, and as it turned out their flight had been a little late getting in, but he didn't care. _"Mother, Father I'm so glad that you came. I'm really happy you could be here this year."_ He told them in his native tongue.

"_Oh trust me son I think this is a good idea,"_ His father smiled and padded him on the back. _"We could use the break and we've never traveled much before anyway."_

"_Yes and I'm looking forward to meeting this Amanda girl of yours and this sister too,"_ His mother told him making Kurt get a slight blush hidden under his fur. It didn't take long as they were joined by the three others there.

"Mozher, Fazher. Zhis is Amanda," He told them switching back to English for now as Amanda stepped forward. She was a little nervous about meeting her boyfriend's parents after all it took a long time for her own to finally accept Kurt after everything.

His mother looked at her and smiled, "Vell now you look as lovely as you do in those photos our son sent to us. I'm so happy our little Kurti found himself a nice girl." She said in English that was not as good as Kurt's. After all they had been learning it over a year ago in case they needed to talk with any of the adults looking after their son.

Although at the name 'Kurti' a few things happened. Amanda gave Kurt a smirking look, while he shut his eyes at that. Then there were Vince and Rogue who had heard what his mother had called him. They shared a look with each other and both knew that they would have fun with this later.

"It's very nice to meet you both," Amanda said politely to them and they returned it in kind. Then they set their sights on Rogue and she felt a little uncomfortable with it. Miss Wagner stepped up first and then to Rogue's surprise smiled at her.

"And you must be Rogue, Kurt has told us all about you and it's so nice for our son to find himself a lost sibling." She told her as she was truly glad for it. She and her husband had never been able to have children, which was why they considered Kurt a god sent to them.

They knew that Kurt had been lonely growing up with no other siblings and the fact that he found one, even though she wasn't related by blood was still incredible in their books. "And I hope zhis isn't too farward but ve vould love to get to know you more."

"Yes any family of Kurt's is family to us," Mr. Wagner told Rogue as she stood next to his wife.

Rogue was taken aback by this, she had no idea what to say to them. It was a very kind gesture by them to say that she would be accepted into their family as well. Kurt was the only family she really had in this world, given that she didn't really consider Mystique much of family. "Ah…Ah don't know what ta say."

"I say go for it with a thank you at the end might be the way to go," Her boyfriend tol her with a smile, he was a bit envious of her for a moment. A family is the one thing that he always wanted but never really had. It was one of the things that they connected on with each other. But if she was offered a bit more of an extended family well he knew that she deserved it.

Rogue looked at him for a moment and the truth was she was touched by this, she wasn't sure how to take it after all it took her awhile to start thinking of Kurt as her brother, how would she feel about his parents? The Wagners decided to let her think about it but they would keep the offer open to her. Besides they wanted her to get the know them as well, after that it was when Mr. Wagner looked at Vincent.

"Well now who is this?"

"Vincent Freeman, Mr. Wagner," He said politely to the older man.

"Oh so this is the boyfriend," Kurt's mother had heard about him from Kurt but her son hadn't been able to send a photo of him as yet like he had a few other letters he sent them. "And don't be so formal, you can call me Jimaine and my husband's name is Stephan."

"Nice to meet you both, but if you'll excuse me Ororo looks like she could use some help," He noticed all the cases that Ororo was taking out of the trunk of the car. He went over to help and the older woman was grateful for it, she took one of them while Vince carried the rest without effort.

Jimaine looked a bit surprised at that, "Strong one isn't he?"

"Oh you don't know the half of it," Amanda then looked at Rogue, "Isn't that right?" Rogue had a feeling she knew what the girl was talking about trying not to blush. Even after all these months they still talked about that incident and it was really getting old fast. But she didn't want to threaten her in front of the Wagners about bring that topic up again.

**-Later that Day-**

After the Wagners were settled in and were getting to know the people that were important to their son's life there was another visitor to the mansion. Only this time it was Logan that heard the ring of the bell, it was a bit odd since he thought the gates were closed. Normally you needed the code to open it, and if you had that you normally had a key for the front door.

The other way normally was when you pressed the buzzer for someone to answer the gate's speaker. Logan grumbled something about needing a butler under his breath, he was already having some trouble with this Christmas thing, normally he'd prefer to just go out and be by himself. It wasn't like he really celebrated it before but with Sarah in his life a lot of things had changed.

He figured the kid deserved to have a Christmas so he had stayed, he remembered how she had looked around at all the decorations, and when her eyes had lit up when they put on the lights for the tree for the first time. She had just sat there looking at it for fifteen minutes actually. When he had asked her why she was just looking at it she only said that she thought it was beautiful.

He was glad thought that she was getting better with interacting with others too, he remembered how they had their first snowball fight this winter. At first X23 had been a bit more aggressive then he would have liked but after a bit she was learning to actually have a bit of fun.

And after they found out that she had a killer arm most wanted her on their team. He still grinned at the memory of her taking out Bobby with a snowball to the back of his head from over ten yards with a fast strike. The poor kid didn't know what hit him before he pitched face first into the snow.

His mind coming back to the present as he reached the door, through the glass he could make out a form and he was surprised to see who it was. He opened the door as he looked at the person there, a woman in her thirties, with slightly tanned skinned and long blond hair. "Surprised to see you here."

Dr. Deborah Risman, the woman that literally gave X23 life stood there. Once a member of Hydra she had changed sides to work with SHIELD. Currently she was the chief medical officer in charge of SHIELD's team X-Force. And she was currently trying to bridge the gap in the relationship of her daughter X23.

"Hello Logan," She said to him knowing that this man would never like her, and she couldn't blame him either. "I managed to get time off and…Well you know why I'm here, but if I'm not welcomed then can you at least give this to Sarah?"

Logan saw the present and for a moment he considered doing just that but he knew that X23 wanted to see her. He remembered how she had invited Risman to her first real birthday here. At first he hadn't liked it, in fact he never liked it but Ororo had pulled him aside and told him that it was something that Sarah needed.

He didn't like the things that this woman had done in the past, he wasn't sure what kind of a mother she was but when he thought back to someone like Mystique, at least Risman was trying to make up for the past. Logan gave a gruff growl to himself and stepped aside, "Yeah well…Might as well come on in if you came all this way. Wait in the living room and I'll get her."

"Thank you Logan," She told him honestly and he just grunted and left.

Logan went and soon found his daughter in her room reading a book. He had to admit that she liked to read for some reason, 'Must get that from Risman cause she sure don't get it from me.' He said to himself.

"Hey kid, ya got a visitor downstairs." He didn't say who and for a moment she looked at him confused. Then she smelt it, it was faint but there was a small hint of a certain perfume and a scent along with it. Her eyes widened a bit when she managed to place it and closed her book leaving it forgotten as she went with her father.

When they got the living room Sarah found Risman sitting there on a couch, she had put aside her coat and had been waiting. When the blond woman heard them come in her eyes went to X23 immediately. She got a small smile at seeing the young girl, inside of Risman she felt saddened and yet happy to see her.

She knew that she had a long way to go to make herself the mother she should have been but she was going to try. And seeing the young girl now always made her feel better knowing that she was living a life she deserved. It was only hard only seeing her from time to time, she wanted to be more a part of her life then she was at the moment. But deep down she knew at the moment this was all she had, and she should treasure it.

"I wasn't sure if you would be coming," Sarah told her as she sat down next to the woman. Logan was leaning up against the doorway just watching the scene.

"I know I wasn't sure either at first if I could make it," She stopped for a moment trying to think of what to say next. It wasn't always easy with them talking there was all this history that made it hard. "You look well."

"Thanks," Her eyes drifted over to the give on the table, "Is that for me?"

She smiled and handed it to her, "Yes I've got a lot of time to make up for. I just…I just wanted to see you and to wish you a merry Christmas."

Risman wasn't sure if there was anything else, the relationship she had with her estranged daughter wasn't easy and those silences they sometimes had were uncomfortable. "Well maybe I should go then." She started to get up but a small hand stopped her.

Deborah looked down at her young daughter as she was looking at her gift and then up at her. X23 wasn't sure what to think but over the past few months she had been getting to know this woman. It was a long and hard process for them to get close in anyway but she looked at her and she saw the loneliness in her. That was something she knew all too well.

"Where are you doing for Christmas?" She asked her and Deborah had no idea. She had no plans given that she had no one in her life really. She had just planned on going out to eat and then maybe head back to her place. "If you got no where to be…You could spend it here if you want."

"A-are you serious?" She asked her feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. This was something she had always wanted to do with her but never had the chance. Sarah nodded, she did want this. From what she had learned this holiday was supposed to be with friends and family and this woman in a way was part of her family.

She looked over to her father and Logan gave a low growl of frustration. He should have known this might have come up, and the look his daughter was giving him he just couldn't say no to her. "I'll go inform Chuck about this then."

"Thank you father," X23 told him and he just nodded and grumbled something under his breath. Sometimes he really had to learn to say no to that kid of his. And he just knew that Charles wouldn't mind it at all if Deborah stayed here for a couple of days. Deborah already had a small suitcase in her rented car outside. Given the weather she wasn't sure by the time she left that she could get a flight out and might need to find a hotel.

Now it looked like she had new plans for her own Christmas and she was looking forward to spending them with X23 and hoping to build a little more to the bridge the two of them were making together. "Thank you for this…It…It really means a lot to me Sarah."

Sarah nodded her head understanding what she meant, "I know and…I want this first Christmas to have all of us together it's only fair."

Deborah smiled as she gently ran a hand through her daughter's hair, she was growing up a lot here. "You're becoming a very smart young woman you know that?"

"I get it from my mother's side I guess," She said and there was a ghost of a smile on her face. It was enough for Deborah to smile at her young girl feeling a small lump in her throat at the comment. So far it was the closest thing she had come to calling her mother but she would take it.

**NEXT UP CHAPTER 4: FAMILIES**


	4. Families

**AN: I made a small mistake with Kurt's mother's name in the last chapter. I forgot that Margali is Amanda's mother's name. So I changed Kurt's mother's name to Jimaine**

* * *

**X-Men Christmas**

**CHAPTER 4: FAMILIES**

It was later that day and the Wagners were getting ready to go over to the Sefton's home. Amanda's parents had invited Kurt and his family to come with them for dinner that night given that Amanda would spend Christmas with her family and would stay over there for a couple of days.

The Wagners were eager to meet her parents and they also thought to invite Rogue along, after all, this was a time for family and they considered her a part of an extended family. And with her along they couldn't leave her boyfriend out either as they also wanted to meet a bit more of the young man. Ororo at this time was getting ready to go to her sister's with Clarice.

The two of them would travel via her portals given that she could take them that far. Lately Blink was getting the hang of her powers and they had recently found out just how long a range she had a couple of months ago thanks to a few tests by Forge and Beast.

And of course Sarah was having a nice time with her mother as they started to talk with Logan in the room too. He didn't say much he just wanted to make sure that nothing happened, mainly Sarah loosing her temper. He knew that she wanted to get to know more of her mother but there were a lot of issues they had to deal with. Thankfully they had stayed clear of anything Hydra related.

Ray was not over at Pam's for dinner as well as he was starting to make his girlfriend's mother more comfortable with him and mutants.

The Seftons were in their new home, after the destruction of their old one they had tried to make their new one feel like a home. Margali Sefton and her husband Steve Sefton were busy working on placing dishes on the dinner table. Margali was smiling, happy that their daughter would be home.

It was hard at times knowing that their only child was not living there, but it was for the best. After that FOH attack on their old home they knew that they couldn't protect her, and even though her life wasn't exactly safe now, at least their daughter had friends to help her out and was learning on how to be able to defend herself.

Steve looked over at the clock on the wall, "Well they should be arriving pretty soon."

She looked up and nodded they would and then there was a buff of smoke as well as a few flashes of light from the living room. There standing there were their guests and Margali had to shake her head at the entrance. Ever since their daughter had learned how to teleport that was how she liked to drop in on them.

It had given them a few surprises when she had just shown up out of nowhere but they were getting used to it. Amanda smiled and ran to her parents giving them hugs as they hugged her back. She was dressed up nicely in an orange dress, with Kurt in nice clothing and in his real appearance. The Wagners were in decent clothing too since this was a bit of a formal dinner.

Rogue had put on the best she had, mainly a long skirt and matching black top. She had put aside the rings normally she wore after all she wanted to make a nice impression and yet keep her style as well. Vince wore nice pants with a sweater on top, both had only met the Seftons a few times and this would be the most time they would have spent with them actually.

"It is so nice to meet you," Stephan Wagner said stepping forward, "You have a very vonderful daughter."

"Thanks and welcome to our home as well," Steven said giving the other man a handshake. He looked at the pair they were a bit older then he and his wife but they seemed like nice people. He knew that Kurt's adopted parents were human but given Kurt some part of him kind of expected for them to be a bit more…Different in some way.

"Well now dinner should be ready soon," Margali Sefton said to them all.

"Ah vell if you need any help please let me."

"Oh you don't have to."

"Oh please ever since Kurti left I've had to learn how to cook normal size meals again. Trust me after cooking meals for my son all his life I'm used to a lot of kitchen work," Kurt groaned at the use of that name again. He really didn't like it when his mother called him that in front of others. Amanda tried not to laugh holding a hand over her mouth, and Margali was even amused at that.

The teens sat together in the living room talking while Steven and Stephan were talking to eat other and the wives were doing the same while getting things ready. At the dinner table they all gathered around. It was really nice time with the two families, Kurt and Amanda sat next to each other of course.

Rogue was having a nice time as well and Vince even though he missed his old home and friends, this was still nice. Both had never had a Christmas like this before and so it was a nice change for them. The Wagners were getting to know all about the Seftons and Amanda's parents were getting a bit more of an understanding about Kurt in a way too.

"I take it Kurt had to be a handful?" Margali asked Kurt's mother.

"Oh yes, zhank God that he didn't have zhat teleportation of this. He had the energy of ten children. And let me tall you somezhign vhen he got sugar into his system he was all over zhe place," She told her laughing making Kurt palm his face.

"Oh trust me children can be like that, I swear when Amanda was younger she often go out with no shirt on at times."

"Mother!"

"Oh please you were only three at the time honey, and let's not forget your princess phase too," Her mother teased and Amanda blushed deeply. That was something that she didn't want her mother to go into detail about that. She remembered those pictures about her dressing up as a princess a lot of the time.

"Oh man ah think ah'm really glad to have come to see this," Rogue whispered to Vincent grinning like a mad woman. He nodded his head looking at the two embarrassed teens across from them. The dinner went on and both Amanda and Kurt were thankful when their parents got off the topic of them for once.

After dinner the parents decided on talking to eat other in the living room, Vince went to walk Rogue home for that night after saying goodbye and thanking everyone. Kurt and Amanda went to her room to be alone. Kurt sighed and collapsed onto her bed, "Oh man I'm glad zhey stopped vith the stories."

"So am I, you don't think Rogue and Vince will tell anyone will you?" She asked hopefully and when she saw the look she got from him she groaned knowing the answer. "Great."

She sat down onto the bed with him as they just lay there content with each other. Kurt was smiling now as he got up on one elbow and looked at Amanda, she looked just so beautiful, her hair all done up and in that dress too. She looked up at him and smiled, "What?"

"I zhink zhis is zhe best Christmas ever, I have mien family here, mien sister and I got the best present of all."

Amanda thought back to the gifts they gave each other, she had given him a DVD he wanted of one of his favourite movies and he had given her a beautiful charm bracelet. So she wasn't sure what he was referring to. "What gift do you mean?"

He leaned in close to her, "You liebe," He leaned down and gently kissed her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer into the kiss. For a moment they stayed like that until they had to pull away from each other both slightly out of breath but smiling lovingly at each other.

"Merry Christmas Kurt."

"Merry Christmas Amanda."

**-New York-**

Ororo stepped out of the blackness it only lasted less then a second and yet it was still an odd way to travel. You'd expect some disorientation or something but there was nothing, you just appeared somewhere else with only a split second of darkness when you teleported with Blink. The two of them were outside of Vivian's and her husband Carl's home.

They had all the lights and decorations up as the two of them walked up, Clarice was looking forward to this. Storm rang the doorbell and Vivian opened up, the two sisters smiled and hugged each other. After that she stepped back and she looked at her sister, trying to see how far along her sister was.

By the looks of the large sweater she must just be starting to show at least a little. "How are you Vi?"

"Better, morning sickness is gone and let me tell you I had forgotten how that was a pain with Evan." She told her and Ororo had to ask if Evan had shown up lately. Vivian sadly told her no, she had heard from him a few times but that was it he was keeping low as he had said to her.

"Well come on I don't want to keep family waiting out in the cold," Vi moved aside as they entered into the home. "So how are you Clarice?"

"I'm doing well thanks Aunt Vi," It had taken Blink a couple of months to get used to calling her that but Vivian had insisted on it. Plus it was really nice to have family again, back with her original one she had rarely seen most of her extended family. She wasn't sure why although her grandparents apparently had died when she was really young. Clarice did have at least one uncle that she remembered who visited a few times.

He had seemed nice and she often wondered what became of him. But that was her past and she wanted to forget it, to bury it. She had a new life now, the girl that she had been was gone. No one from her old life would recognize her now, and not just because she have lavender skin, white eyes and pink hair. She had grown as a person over this time a lot in thanks to Ororo, her adopted mother.

"So then…How is that nice boy Ryan?" Vivian asked.

Blink was surprised she even knew about that boy that she kind of liked. Well okay more then just kind of, but she didn't know how to go about it hell he didn't even know what she really looked like. The only person she talked to about Ryan was mainly Amanda, the other girls knew and of course…

"Mom!" Blink turned quickly to Ororo who was the only person that could have told Vivian about this.

"Vivian just wanted to know how things were going it's not a secret," Ororo defended herself seeing Blink's blushing face. "Besides she wanted to know how you were doing."

Clarice groaned lightly and Vivian put a hand on her shoulder, "Now don't be like that, it's natural to like a boy and you're a great girl."

"Can we please not talk about it?" The teen begged hoping to get off and thankfully Carl had heard what was going on and came to her rescue when he said hello to Ororo and started up a conversation. Clarice made an excuse about putting away their coats and quickly slipped out of there before things got even more embarrassing.

Later the entire family was together filling each other in one what was happening. Vi and Ororo were talking of course about the baby and how they were dealing with that. Carl was already turning the guest room into a nursery for the child as well. It wasn't until a few hours later that the doorbell rang.

Blink decided on turning on her holowatch just in case but Carl went to the door hoping the same thing as the rest of the family. When he opened up the door he saw two figured in large coats and hats covering them up. There was a small moment of silence when one spoke up, "Uh…Hey dad."

"Evan?" He asked and the other pulled off the hat and he could see it was his son. They had seen Evan for a bit although it was still a bit hard to see what happened to his son. But still he was glad to see him.

"Son it's so glad you could stop by, we weren't sure if you were coming or not. You were worrying your mother and me a lot." He didn't want to lecture him but it just kind of came out.

"I know I know dad but you know how things are. It's not like I can just walk home any time I want to these days." Evan shot back.

Thankfully before it could get out of hand the other one spoke up, "Hey I don't want to freeze my ass off out here so could we go in or not?" The female said to the both of them. Carl and Evan both moved aside as she walked in. She took off her own hat to show a purple skinned teen about Evan's age, with short cropped pink hair and some bones growing out of her skin.

"Evan?" Carl asked his son.

"This is Marrow dad, she's my girlfriend I hope you don't mind. I invited her along."

"Yeah after I had to talk his ear off about it, I can't believe you never told them about me. We've been dating for months and now you just tell them this?" Marrow sometimes wondered what she saw in Evan but then again he did have his good points. It was just that he could be very infuriating at times.

"Hey it's not like I had the time to sit down and have a nice long talk you know. We've been very busy down there getting things set up and ready, training and all the other stuff." Evan defended himself.

"Well anyway I'm glad you're here and your friend is welcomed in our home son," Evan's father told his son. In a way he was glad that his son seemed to have found a girl and this one seemed to be able to kick some sense into him a little too. Maybe she could get him to think a bit more, lord knew he had tried but his son could be very stubborn at times.

Vivian and Ororo went to their feet when they saw who had come as both women went over to Ororo. Blink was relieved and turned off her watch to look normal again. She watched at the two women talked with Evan about how things were and of course glad that he had come.

Marrow looked around, she had lived all her life in the sewers at least as far as she remembered and this place was a palace in comparison. She just couldn't believe that Evan had given all this up but after thinking about it she knew he made the right choice. Despite his parents not many others from up here would accept people like them.

She noticed Blink one of the X-Men and even though the relationship between the Morlocks and Xavier's people were strained since they didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things, she figured that the other girl wouldn't be a problem. She seemed kind of the quiet type anyway and after all given her looks she could have ended up as a Morlock.

So she just gave the other girl a nod as she went to sit down. Evan was getting swamped with all sorts of questions from his mother and he had to admit it was nice to even have that from her. He missed his parents but given how his life was at the moment it was best to keep out of sight.

Ororo was a little reserved about it given that the Morlocks and X-Men weren't on speaking terms but after a small uncomfortable moment between aunt and nephew they started to talk again. Ororo kept it away from certain topics knowing how Evan could get and she didn't want to start a fight. Evan did the same he didn't want to ruin this day.

After that Evan introduced Marrow to his family, he could tell she was a bit uncomfortable about it, they were the only humans that had actually bothered to just talk to her. Most times her encounters with humans wasn't exactly 'civil' to say the least.

By the end of the meal everyone was stuffed to some degree, it had been a long time since Evan had eaten that well and as for Marrow she hadn't eaten that good ever. It was also why she was the only one at the table frowning. "What's wrong?" Evan asked her.

"Aren't you feeling the least bit guilty?" She asked him leaning back and crossing her arms. "We're eating like this while I bet the others are barely getting by."

Evan sighed and now that she mentioned it, it wasn't exactly fair. They shouldn't be enjoying all of this. "Yeah you're right."

"Evan you know that Xavier still wants to help in any way." Ororo told him, "Despite everything he's still willing to help your people. Medicine, food, clothing anything that you may need we're still happy to help out."

"Yeah like we're a charity case for him, some tax write off." Marrow grumbled out, Morlocks didn't beg they had their pride and they didn't do handouts. They only had themselves to relay on and so they only trusted themselves.

"That's not true and you should know that young lady," Ororo's voice turned icy cold and the two females. Everyone could feel the room get a bit colder at the moment, Blink bit her lower lip trying to think.

"Um…why not just take the leftovers from this? I mean it's Evan's family so it's not a handout and well…it has nothing to do with Xavier?" She offered and Marrow and Evan looked at each other. They both knew that Callisto didn't want to depend on anyone and not Xavier especially.

"Hey we got plenty son and if you people need it then you're welcome to it all," His father told him and Vivian agreed to it as well. Besides she wanted to help out Evan in any way she was his mother still no matter what.

"I say we do it I mean it would help out and would make the day of a few people as well." Evan told Marrow and she had to admit it would help out.

"Well that's all well and good but how are we going to get all of this down there?"

Blink raised a hand as all eyes turned to her, "Um…I could just teleport you all there, it wouldn't be that hard and I know where the place is too. That is…If you don't mind?"

The two Morlocks exchanged looks and Evan shrugged it was a good idea. So they went with it, they helped to pack up the food and Evan's parents hugged their son and said their goodbyes. Ororo and him did the same and Evan walked over to Blink, "You know I want to thank you for the help."

"It's okay I mean…What's family for?"

"Yeah, thanks…cousin…man it's weird calling you that," He admitted. She nodded her head it was strange at first but after all it took her time to call Ororo, mother and later the same with Vivian and Carl too. They all gathered together as they said their final goodbyes, even his parents gave one to Marrow.

"Well it was nice meeting you Marrow," Vivian had to admit that Evan had strange tastes in women but then again it was hard to get to know this girl. "Although could you do me a favour? Try to keep him out of trouble?"

"I could try but that depends on how long you want him unconscious," She said with a straight face and saw the shocked reactions but then she got a small grin on her face to show that she was joking. Well she was half joking but then again that was part of the fun of the relationship she had with Evan.

By then Blink concentrated and then a black disk appeared to swallow them up as she sent them to a large area she remembered when she went there. When Evan and Marrow arrived everyone was surprised by their arrival. Although when they saw the food they had it was quickly forgotten, they quickly passed out the food to everyone there. It wasn't much but it sure helped things out.

Callisto came when she heard about this and when she heard the story she didn't say a word she just let them go on and watched as her people had the best meals they most likely had in a long time. Even the Morlocks had started a little decorations for this time, it wasn't much.

But Callisto felt it would help lift their spirits and this little gift was just what they needed the most. She smiled seeing how some of the faces lit up as they started eating and talking to each other. She knew it wouldn't last but for a small time their lives were a little less glum, and it was moments like this that were truly important.

**NEXT UP CHAPTER 5: RELATIONSHIPS**


	5. Relationships

**X-Men Christmas**

**CHAPTER 5: RELATIONSHIPS**

Amara was walking through the mansion she had been thinking about whether to do this or not but it was time. She had already set up her gift from Tabitha and now all she needed was the one person to make sure she got some use out of it. She was wondering the mansion as she looked for Kai also known as Shadow.

The Japanese ninja usually liked to hang out in certain areas when not training and she knew him well enough to know that he had already did some training earlier. So she decided to check his room and the door was open but he wasn't in there. She frowned and then went to a room by room search.

She finally found him in the living room in front of the TV, he was looking at several DVDs that were from a stack in the room. They usually kept a large library or DVD and even VHS movies in that room so the students had something to watch. Although many did have their own copies it was still nice since then they didn't have to borrow anything, and in some cases forget to put them back.

"Hey there find anything interesting?" She asked him as he looked up and smiled at her.

"I was just wondering if there was anything from Japan here although most is either Godzilla related, or some anime movie." He didn't mind that but his country did make more then just those types of films. Sure he liked Western entertainment, and it was where he had picked up much of his English, but he did like to watch stuff from his home country now and then.

He put the DVDs away not really up for a film at the moment anyway. He was kind of bored actually, he couldn't run the Danger Room since all the adults were either away or busy, Logan and X23 were having a family moment with that other woman. He forgot her name but he knew about her, so he was down two sparring partners. Vincent was with the Wagners at the Sefton house so he was out too.

"Is there anything I can do for you Amara?"

She shrugged, "Not really I was just bored and kind of wanted to do something. Maybe go for a walk or something or at least someone to talk to."

"Ah yes I know what you mean. Strange how you can't get a moment alone in this place and yet when you do you want more people around."

Magma nodded her head it was a strange conundrum. "Well anyway I was thinking of raiding the kitchen, you up for something to snack on?" Kai shrugged he didn't have anything better planned so he went with her. He was a bit more at ease around Amara she was gentle and had helped him a lot when he first showed up.

Amara didn't like silences so she started up a normal one, she liked to ask him about his homeland as she did the same. It was kind of a cultural exchange for the two of them as they both came from countries and cultures that were different from the USA. Both were learning a lot that way they found. "So I take it you don't get much snow in Nova Roma?" He asked her as they were in the kitchen snacking on some cookies shaped like trees.

"Try none the average heat usually would leave you sweating. My first winter here was my worst, it took me so long to get used to the cold. Although I have learned to heat my skin to stay warm thankfully."

He nodded that would help, when he was in his shadow form he didn't feel the cold or much of anything really. "I noticed since you're one of the ones that uses their powers to clear out the driveway."

Amara blushed remembering the first time she tried it. "Well…Actually that took some time. First time was when I was still learning control and I kind of…Melted the ground a bit. They had to wait until spring to repave the road."

Kai tried not to laugh at that, it was kind of funny and he could only imagine what that had been like. Although it did explain why Bobby had told her not barbeque the road again, before he left.

After that the two teens started to walk again as they walked on, Amara was leading the way and little did he know that she had a certain destination in mind. She started to talk about all the different traditions on this holiday and he gave his own opinion on them. Most he actually liked although a few were a bit odd, like whoever came up with eggnog.

He really didn't like that drink, but then he stopped as she had. Amara was looking up from where they were, "You remember those traditions of this holiday?" She asked him and he nodded his head, "Well there is one more."

He looked up and he saw some of that mistletoe hanging overhead. He didn't remember that being there before, although he had seen it and had heard that when you were under it with a partner what you were supposed to do. Little did he know that Amara set that up, she had broken down and had gone and prepared this.

She had been patient with Kai, letting him get over his losses but she was a young teenager and couldn't wait forever. If there was any future for them other then friendship she needed to know, and like she had heard. If there is a spark in the kiss then there is something there.

"So…Are you going to?" Amara blushed a bit and he felt his own cheeks redden a little.

Kai felt his own cheeks start to get a blush on them, true it wasn't like he was tied to anyone. Well only the memory of Sakura, the girl he had cared for and had finally gotten her. Her death the night his village was attacked by The Hand was a pain he wasn't sure would ever leave him.

But over time he had started to get over that pain and he knew that she wouldn't want him to morn her forever, so he looked down at the slightly shorter Amara. She wasn't like other girls, her skin was tanned, her hair was like silk and her large brown eyes were drawing. Yes she was beautiful, and why not she was a princess after all.

"Kai?" She asked him waiting for an answer.

"Oh uh…Well if you don't mind then," He didn't get to finished as she lightly placed her hands on his chest and leaned up capturing his lips. He thought it would be a small one but then she stayed and he felt her hands slowly travel upwards. Through instinct he placed his hands on her slim hips.

Then she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down a little into the kiss. He started to kiss her back and he didn't know that she was a god kisser. His hands found the skin of her sides since her shirt ran up a little with her arms in that position. He felt her soft skin and it was warm.

The skin of her face, her lips they were all very warm and he wondered if this was because of her powers. After a bit the two of them were lost in the kiss, Amara was really enjoying it as Kai was soon lost in the pleasure of it. Then after who knew how long the two pulled away. Both were left breathless by it and Kai was wondering what had happened.

Amara was smiling, that was sure one hell of a nice kiss and she guessed that Tabitha had been right. She had felt something in there and from the expression on Kai's face he had felt something too. She shyly brushed some of her long hair out of her face, "That was really nice."

"Y-yes is was," It took him a moment to find his voice he hadn't been kissed like that in a long time. He could feel his heart rate going up and it had been much more then he had thought it would have been.

"Well I got to go, but thanks for the kiss." She smiled at him leaving him wondering about a few things. He had been thinking about his family and friends this day given what this day was supposed to mean. But for the rest of the day his mind was focused on something else.

Mainly he just couldn't get Amara out of his head and especially that kiss. He reached up to his lips touching them and dropped his hand. He was still wondering what had just happened here and why Amara had kissed him like that. She was a good friend in fact she had been there helping him through all of this. Living in the mansion, being on a new team and adjusting to his new life.

She was one of his closest friends and yet…That kiss kept coming back to him. It had been more then just friendship in there. She was very pretty, she was nice and there was that hole in his life. A part of him missed having someone to share his life with.

'What am I thinking? She's my friend and I shouldn't be thinking of her like this, should I?' He wished his father was here then he could ask. He always went to him for advice, maybe he'd meditate on things. Although the smell of her hair and the taste of her lips which kept running into his mind kept his mind from focusing.

**-Elsewhere in the Mansion-**

Dr. Deborah was walking through the mansion. She had finished unpacking and had spent a few more hours with Sarah as she showed her around and they started to talk. It was nice because for a moment the two of them felt a bit more relaxed with each other and had actually for a small moment felt they had a normal relationship.

For the moment she left her alone as she went to call up her friend Paige to see how things were going. She was glad that her daughter had a close friend, she had noticed this when she had visited her last time on her birthday and seeing her daughter happy for one in her life was so uplifting for her.

The mansion was mainly empty and so she was just wondering the rooms looking around. She found the library and began looking at all the books there were here. Of course she went to the science are and was glad that Xavier seemed to use the same system a public library used. It made things more easy as she scanned the titles. Some were pretty old, while others looked a lot more recent. She pulled out a text book on human genetics that looked recent. She had this book herself although she had quickly found out she knew a few things that the book didn't know.

"Ah well hello there," She turned at the sound of the male voice to see Henry McCoy walking into the room. She had meet him briefly and although his appearance was different she didn't mind it. In fact he was one of the few people that seemed to have treated her with genuine kindness the last time she had been here. Although she couldn't blame how people reacted to her given her past.

"Hello Mr. McCoy, I hope you don't mind me looking through the books."

He smiled and waved it off, "Not at all Dr. Risman, usually only the students use this room for homework anyway. Although Sarah seems to like reading in here, your daughter has a keen mind and takes new information with a passion I wish more children her age took."

"Oh yes you're teaching her here aren't you," She just remembered that he home schooled X23 and Wanda Maximoff. "I have to thank you for that, I don't think she's ready for public schooling and it's nice to know she's getting an education. Tell me how are her studies going?"

He smiled and told her to take a seat, he explained to her how well she was doing. She seemed to love history and seemed to like certain areas such as art, literature, music as well. Mathematics she was good at but seemed to bore of it as well as chemistry. She had some problems with a few subjects but nothing to worry about. All in all she was a very good student.

She listened in on everything about her daughter and getting to see how much Hank loved to teach she was glad that he was the one doing it. He really seemed to know what he was talking about then again she had read up on the files of the X-Men and new he had been a teacher. "You really enjoy teaching don't you?"

He sighed and nodded, "Yes I do, shaping the minds of those that will lead the future is a noble profession."

"Yes that's one of the reasons I'm working with the kids at SHIELD," Deborah nodded. "In a way I'm trying to make up for…Well you know what I'm trying to make up for."

Hank saw the look on her face and the despair she had, he knew she had her reasons and that was the honest in trying to make up for the past. He couldn't help but wonder how she had held up all those years in Hydra and now trying to make a life for herself. "I'm sorry to bother you with this. It's just hard to make up for mistakes in the past, they seemed justified when you do them but when you look back…"

"You see what folly it was and that if you could go back you would want to change it," He finished and she looked at him a bit surprised, mainly because she could tell he was talking about personal experience from his own life.

He saw her look and felt he should explain, he told her about how he had thought he could keep his mutation locked away, like it was a cancer or something. He denied that part of him and now it was like he was cursed to live as he was now, as a ever constant reminder of the consequences of those actions. Deborah listened in and she saw the sadness in his face, the pain of what he had basically done to himself.

She was just getting to know Beast but she saw in him a noble man that was stuck in a monster of his own making. And there was something else, she noticed the loneliness in the voice and in his manner. She knew that all too well herself, she was isolated because of her past and she knew he was because of his looks. "It seems we both know what it means to pay for the past mistakes."

He gave a small smile with a nod, "Indeed it does, although I've been learning to cope and deal with this. After all mutation is supposed to be adaptive so I may as well adapt to my new life. And I feel I have done so."

"I wish I had your confidence Mr. McCoy."

"It just takes time my dear it jus takes time and please you can call me Henry or Hank if you will." He smiled a bit more now it was so nice to talk to someone from outside of the mansion for once that he had forgotten what it was like. "I get enough of the Mr. McCoy from the students."

For the first time in awhile Deborah smiled a bit more, "And you can call be Deborah or even Deb or Debby. If that makes you feel any more at ease too." The two of them talked on for a few hours after that. They started to exchange ideas on science and when they started on genetics you couldn't have stopped them. For the first time it was the longest they had ever felt at ease with another and had talked about something that interested them.

And on that night a new friendship was formed between the two of them.

**-Cumberland, Kentucky-**

Tabitha was on the Guthrie farm, it had been a crazy few days. But so far she was liking it, living at the mansion made it easier to deal with all of Sam and Paige's siblings. Although Tabitha wondered just how Miss Guthrie managed to keep a decent figure after having ten children, it was obvious that they didn't believe in birth control in this family.

It was also a much different home then the one she grew up in, everyone cared for each other and she could see how close everyone was. They all helped out on the far, and even Tabitha had been pressed ganged into things. Given it was winter there was a bit less to do then normal as she was told but still there were things to do.

Plus it was the first time Tabitha actually got to ride a horse, she fell a few times but with Sam's help she started up slow. She never told anyone but she had always wanted to do that when she was a little girl. They had worked in the hayloft putting throwing some down to the lower level of the barn for the other animals.

It really smelled in there but what do you expect with an area that was a confined space with animals living in it? Although she had at one pointed started up a little make-out session in the hayloft. She had heard the term roll around in the hay now she saw why some people tried it out. Although just when it was getting good of course one of Sam's little brothers just had to walk in on them.

This brother was Lewis and he had been bugging them to no end about it all day. That is until Sam's mother walked by overhearing it. She had told Lewis that he shouldn't make fun of that after all that was how he had been conceived in that hayloft. Lewis not wanting to hear anymore left to his room quickly.

Tabitha and Sam both wondered if they would get in any trouble but she just gave them a smile and a nod and left them alone. It was official Tabitha loved Sam's family especially his parents. They were just really cool people and they totally accepted her, hell they practically made her feel like she was a part of the family already.

She had been rooming with a few of the girls and boy they knew how to have some fun. Currently she was sitting on the porch watching the boys play a bit, it seemed to be just the brothers having some fun in the snow. Normally she would but she was tired and a bit sore from all the farm work. Although it did explain why Sam had a nice body at least, that thought gave her a small grin remembering the first time she saw him in a bathing suit.

Inside there was a small argument, apparently Paige was able to give Jamie a call and now her sisters were either bugging her about her first boyfriend or wanting the phone to call their own. It was amazing that in a house with so many teenagers they only had one phone line.

Tabitha was just relaxing when the door opened up and Sam's mother came out carrying a couple of cups of what looked like hot chocolate. "I figured you could use a bit of this." She handed it to her as she sat down next to her on the bench watching her boys.

"Thanks a lot," She sipped it gently not wanting to get burned. "And thanks for…Well letting me crash here. You guys have been really nice to me and stuff and it's just cool of you to share this with me."

Lucinda Guthrie just smiled at her, "Don't think nothing of it dear. I've seen how you and Sam are around each other, and I've heard how he talks about you. Trust me my son has never been this smitten by a girl before and after meeting you I think you're just right for my boy."

"Oh really?" Tabitha thought she was a bit too much of a wild child or too much of a city girl or something.

"You got spirit girl and trust me to be with a Guthrie man you'll need it," She leaned in a little close to lower her voice, "They're helpless without a nice strong woman to keep them focused and movin'."

Tabitha burst out laughing at that and she was really liking this woman more and more every day. "Well thanks for thinking that, you know as adults go you're pretty cool about this. I mean most would think I'm the kind of girl they would keep their boys away from and especially not staying over in the same house."

"Well we were all young once, trust me you actually remind me a bit of myself at your age."

"Are you serious?" Tabitha exclaimed.

"I grew up through the sixties and seventies, what do you think?" She smirked at her and Tabitha got all kind of images of this. She took a sip before started again, "Anyway I know my boy and I trust him to be a gentleman about things. And as for sleeping in the same house you two do that anyway."

"As long as it's in separate rooms mind you," She warned Tabitha, "I have no intention of being a grandmother so soon."

Tabitha actually froze at that, "Oh hell no trust me there is no way I want a kid now anyway so no worries about that."

Lucinda padded her knee and got up, "Well then that will save me a few grey hairs down the line. Dinner will be ready in a few hours." With that she left the young blonde to herself. Not long after the boys had had enough it seemed. They broke off as they started to make their way to the home.

Sam of course stayed with Tabitha sitting down next to her, "Hey so was that my momma talkin' to ya?"

"Yeah just some girl talk is all," She handed him the last of her drink and he took it. He needed it after all he was still covered in snow in some areas not to mention that he still had snow in certain areas of his clothing.

"Ah'm glad you came Tabitha," He said as she smiled and cuddled up next to him. He slipped an arm around her as they got a bit more comfortable.

"So am I. I really like you're family Sam and well…This has been the best Christmas I can remember."

Sam smiled holding her close as they just sat there watching the sun starting to fade. It was actually a clear sky for once and so they could actually enjoy this. Plus given it was winter they had an excuse to get closer together as well. Tabitha sighed, even though she was a city girl she could see the attraction in country life.

She had never really watched a sun set before and with Sam here it was really nice. It was the perfect way to spend her Christmas and she was hoping that she could come back again next year as well. She just hoped that Amara was having as good a time as she was.

**NEXT UP CHAPTER 5: SEASONS GREETINGS**


	6. Seaon's Greetings

**AN: I wanted a few more chapters but since the limited time I have I had to cut them. Sorry about that maybe I'll make a one shot for the deleted stuff someday or something.**

* * *

**X-Men Christmas**

**CHAPTER 6: SEASONS GREETINGS**

Everywhere all over the world the X-Men were celebrating either at the mansion or at their homes. Roberto was with his family, he had come from a rich background and it showed on his family estate in Brazil. It was one of the few times his parents took time off their busy schedule to be together.

Ray had spent some of the day with Pam and her family, and had even visited the Morlocks. That hadn't lasted too long given that the Morlocks were seeing him as more an outsider these days then having been one of them. So he spent the rest of the day at the mansion.

Gale was back home in Canada with her father, it was the first time she had seen him since the day she left. She had tried to look up a few of her old friends, sadly a few weren't even taking her calls but she did find a few that still were there for her at least. Dani was with her grandfather at the reservation that he had moved too, it was great to spend time with him again.

Forge was with his parents of course after all he had a lot of missed Christmases to make up for. Rahne was with her mother Moira and she couldn't have been happier, even Theresa the mutant known as Siryn was also there with her father. She had gotten time off from X-Force and had surprised the young Scottish girl. The two had a lot of catching up to do that day.

Wanda was with Polaris and her mother this day, it had been the first family Christmas that she could remember in the longest of times. And it was very nice as well, there had suddenly been someone at the door so Wanda went to get it not seeing the hidden smile from Lorna's face. Wanda hadn't been prepared to the site that greeted her.

It was Simon from Lorna's team there with a few presents under his arms and a grin on his face. "Hey there Lorna said I could crash and I didn't have any other plans. You mind me crashing the party?"

Wanda quickly turned her head around to see Lorna trying not to laugh at the look on Wanda's face. At this point she wasn't sure if she was pissed or happy with Lorna, well she'd figure something out later as she gladly brought Simon into the house. Now it seemed that this day was getting even better for her.

Jamie was back at his place happy to see his parents and they were glad to see him too. He was very excited about being home again, although at night he did miss his friends and of course Paige too. He got to call her up a few times and that made if better for him.

Kitty's day had been pretty hectic to say the least, as it turned out trying to prepare her parents for Lockheed wasn't easy. They actually hadn't believed her until she had to show him to them, her mother nearly fainted at that point. They also had to explain a few things such as magic being real as Illyana had to give a few examples of that.

After the shocks wore off after a few hours, things got a bit better. Illyana would room with Kitty as Piotr got a spare room used for guests or family that would stop by. Both of the Russians got a first hand lesson in what Hanukah was like. They saw how the candles were lit and the prayers said, they even got to eat the food that was prepared for that day.

They all went over to Kitty's grandparents in the city too as they met up with other members of Kitty's family. Thankfully no one really minded that Kitty was a mutant, well most of the family at least. Piotr and his sister were welcomed guests as well (although they left Lockheed back at her parents' house not wanting to push her luck).

But they all had a nice time there, and Piotr at least felt that Kitty's parents didn't disapprove of him. Although there was the fact he was a bit older he at least gave an impression of being a good person and so they decided that Kitty was old enough to decide who to date at this point.

Bobby was back home with his parents, it was kind of odd at times mainly because his parents weren't sure how to deal with having a mutant child. They still loved him it was just a little awkward at times. When his mutations started to show they had been so afraid for him that there was something wrong with him. When Xavier explained things it had taken them a few days to digest it all.

But all in all despite the few moments it was good for the family to be together. Bobby was their only child after all and they wanted to try to be like it used to be given what time of the year it was. Bobby at one point was in his room listening to some music when he wondered if Jubilee had opened up her gift yet, he hoped she liked it after all it cost him a good some.

In California Jubilation Lee was with her family, they were glad to have their daughter back with them. They had been worried when they had been forced to send her back to Xavier's given they had taken her out when the mansion had been attacked. It hadn't been easy to send her away again but after how things were going for her here they had no choice.

Jubilee was having a great time being back, she caught up with her family and even managed to track down her best friend, who was the only friend she had left. At one point she found the gift Bobby had given her that day she left. She had forgotten that she had placed it under the tree and left it for last. When her parents were cleaning up Jubilee took it to her room to see what it was.

She opened up the wrapping and then the box as her eyes widened. She pulled out an elegant glass figurine. It looked like a woman dancing in the wind, smiling and full of joy. There was a card inside of it and she read it after carefully putting the figure down. "To Jubilee, saw this and thought of you. Hope you like it and Merry Christmas. Bobby." She smiled after reading the card and then looked back at the beautiful figure.

She couldn't help but smile, Bobby could be a bit immature at times but he knew how to have fun and when he actually put his mind to things he could be really sweet at times too. Jubilee couldn't wait to put this in her room at the mansion and to thank Bobby later when they saw each other again.

Warren had left the mansion the night before Christmas saying he was visiting a friend. He still hadn't talked to his parents, he had tried but after that fight they had he just couldn't do it. Every time he tried to pick up the phone it was like his arm wouldn't do it. So he went to New York to spend this time with his girlfriend Candy.

Her parents were on a cruise for the holiday, and normally she would have been a little depressed about it but given that she and Warren were back together again it made this holiday all the more sweet for them. Warren arrived to see the beautiful dark haired woman in a golden dress that ended at her thighs. "Well Merry Christmas Warren."

Warren only smiled at the sight of her, "God you look fantastic."

She smiled and led him in, taking off his heavy coat so he could get his wings out. She was comfortable with his wings, in fact she was finding that they only made Warren even better looking, making him look like some fictional angel. She then slipped her arms around his neck giving him a deep welcoming kiss which he returned eagerly. She was a great source of happiness for him lately.

"Well I hope you're hungry because I got us a nice dinner, then we can open up presents."

"Oh and can I ask what you got me?" He smirked at her and she gave him a look he had seen before.

"Well let me tell you one thing, if you're good you'll get to unwrap one of them." She gave him a wink and he just knew that what one of those little gifts would be. And it turned out to be right as well. The next morning Candy woke up in her bed reaching over to where Warren had been.

She found the area barren and she frowned looking around. She saw the messed up sheets that she pulled up against her and the clothing from the night before scattered. Candy got out and put on a robe and stopped when she smelted something. She walked through her apartment and came to see Warren in only his pants cooking breakfast. "Damn I was hoping to surprise you in bed."

She only laughed and sat down, "Breakfast in bed huh? Has anyone told you you're an angel?"

"Oddly enough yes but not in the way you do," he smiled at her.

Risman, X-23 and Logan spent the morning together as she watched her daughter open up her gift. It turned out to be a small little bear. It had been something that Risman had had when she had been a girl and had hoped that Sarah would like it. Plus there was a book there from an author Risman enjoyed knowing her daughter liked to read.

Sarah thanked her for the gifts, it didn't matter what she got it just mattered that she had been here and was trying to spend time with her. Although she also did like the gifts too. She also noticed how she spent time with Hank and saw them talking, she couldn't follow what they were talking about at times but they both seemed to enjoy each other's company.

When Kurt and Rogue got home and went to their rooms they were surprised to find a gift on each bed. For Kurt it was a strange music box, it held a tune that he knew from Germany as a child's tune. His mother had sung it to him and when he asked his parents about it they honestly had no idea where it had come from.

For Rogue it was a jewellery box in the same wooden design with a silver bracelet on the inside of it. Rogue had first thought it was another gift from Vince but he had no idea, she went to Kurt and found out about his similar styled gift. Both had no idea what was going on although Kurt had a theory but he didn't want to say it to Rogue.

He knew she'd just get angry at the possibility and so he kept his peace although he did look out his window wondering. What he couldn't see was a figure in the woods in the shadow of the trees. When the woman saw the boy move away she stepped out and in the moonlight of that night Mystique walked out. It had been a close call leaving those gifts but she had still given them.

She sighed knowing that this had been risky but then again she had to they were her children. But she had to get back soon, she only had to get back to Washington DC to her other family and once again dawn the mask of the senator's wife as Mallory Brickman. Although that wasn't too bad at least even though it was a lie she could spend a real Christmas as a real family should.

With that she disappeared once more into the shadows.

In her home Jean was with her parents and sister as they talked around the living room with hot drinks. It was so nice to see them again and to see her sister as well, in fact they had talked for over three hours when she got home catching up on any details. When she was alone in her room getting ready for bed she picked up the box that Scott had given her.

She smiled at the memory of when she had opened it the first time. She did so now as she looked again at the silver and gold object. It was a locket that had a stylized bird of some kind on it. Inside of it, it held a picture of the both of them with Scott behind her with his arms around her holding her close to him. Both of them had been smiling, she remembered that day actually that had been one the one month anniversary of when they started to date.

It was such a sweet gesture. Jean laid back into her bed wondering if she could reach out to Scott. She tried to relax as much as possible and tried with her mind, he was too far away but she then tried on their link. It was a faint pulse that was always there, the closer they were the stronger it was. But after a few minutes she could feel him.

Across the world it was still daylight out for Scott as he was sitting down with Alex as they talked and Alex was trying to get him to go out surfing with him again when he felt it. He felt Jean's mind caress his just lightly and he wondered at first if something was wrong. But the feelings he got weren't telling him that, in fact they were warm and inviting.

Then he heard her voice 'Thank you Scott,' in a slightly hush tone enter his mind. He smiled and sent back his own warm feelings and thoughts as best he could. It was comforting to know that even so far away they could still feel each other.

"Hey man you paying attention?" Alex asked him snapping him out of it.

"Yeah of course," He covered up although the link with Jean was down again he smiled wishing to see her soon. Maybe later he could try and reach her you never knew just what this link was capable of after all.

At one point Xavier went to his study to put away a few books he had been reading from his personal collection. He just got in when he noticed two gifts on his desk, when he opened the first it turned out to be a biography on Martin Luthor King Jr. A man that Xavier had remembered seeing once sadly it had been shortly before his death.

But it had been a moment that he remembered and a man he had great respect for what he had tried to do in his life. In a way Xavier modeled his own philosophy slightly to that great man's vision. He was happy with the gift and wondered who had thought of it.

The second turned out to be several photos, one was of the X-Men, another New Mutants and finally the new team X-Factor. The final one was of all of them together, each one was placed in front of the mansion and he had to wonder just how they all pulled this off. It couldn't have been easy but he still smiled at the images there.

He wheeled his way to a wall and there were a couple of photos there hanging. One was of the original team one of the few that survived the destruction of the mansion so he kept it here. One of them all after they had defeated Apocalypse, and now it would look like he had a few more to hang on his wall. Looking back at it all he never would have guest at how things had turned out but he was grateful that they had.

He turned to look out the window to see the falling snow, another year had gone by. A year of change, of hardship, of new enemies but also there was joy and happiness. New friendships, relationships and many other things, giving Xavier time to reflect on everything that had happened.

He knew that the next year would bring more of the same but at least for this moment all was peaceful and his students and even those that helped him with this school with this dream of his were all having a good time. They deserved it and sitting back he felt content with his life at the moment and with how things were going.

Sure it wouldn't last, nothing did. But that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the moment and wish everyone under him a merry Christmas and happy new year.

**THE END**


End file.
